Beneath the snow!

[Shuz]

The snow has finally melted from my range in northeast Washington state. What a lead mine I discovered! Many hundreds of 44 slugs have expended their energy as they traveled through the snow, and now lie on top of the ground just begging to be picked up and resmelted.
Interestingly, most are not deformed at all and look like they could be re-lubed and shot again. However, I did some measuring and found that every one measured is between .424 and .426 in diameter! Many have even shrunk in length. Weight surprisingly, is within a grain or two of original! All 449 Saeco's, that I use primarily for bbl cleaning, all had the gas checks still attached to the bases. Dimensions before shooting were: .772 OAL, .431dia.,242.1g wt, and Saeco 7-8 hardness. 3 of the recovered boolits were: .767 OAL, .424-.425 dia. 242 to 243g wt, and Saeco 6 to 7 hardness. Other boolit designs that showed the same kinda "shrinkage" were 429421, 446-A Saeco 429640 Devastator HP's and 429215's. These were all fired from perhaps 5 or 6 different .44 mag revolvers, both Smiths and Rugers. Powders were Green Dot, NM-04, WC820 and 2400. Comments?

[docone31]

Recycleing at its best!!!

[Shiloh]

And its easiest.

Same thing here in the upper mid-west.

Shiloh

[Mk42gunner]

The more things change the more they stay the same.

I was just rereading Sixgun Cartridges and Loads by Elmer Keith; in it he recommended using snow to stop bullets without damage.

Robert

[waksupi]

Shuz, I'm mining snow banks, too. In fact, I re-shot some of my smoothbore balls last weekend, shot just fine.
I'll be sifting my backstop when things dry up a bit. As it is, right now we have a dandy blizzard going on. Driving conditions are nasty!

[Blammer]

well next year before it snows put down a tarp.

then it snows, shoot, snow melts, then roll up tarp and you have all boolits piled together. :)

[Char-Gar]

I recall when the 44 Magnum came out Ray Thompson shot a number of his gas check bullets (419244) into snow banks and examined them. The found out the alloy had to be at least 1-20 (tin/lead) before the bullets didn't compress at those pressures.

[montana_charlie]

What is your theory to explain why the bullets got smaller when fired?

Before - .772 long - .431 diam. - 242 grains
After -- .767 long - .425 diam. - 242 grains

Did they have internal voids that disppeared when fired?

[jhrosier]

..

Did they have internal voids that disppeared when fired?

I wonder if the lube grooves got squished smaller?

Jack

[ghh3rd]

Wish we had snow banks here in Florida [smilie=1:

[Shiloh]

What is your theory to explain why the bullets got smaller when fired?

Before - .772 long - .431 diam. - 242 grains
After -- .767 long - .425 diam. - 242 grains

Did they have internal voids that disppeared when fired?

Maybe.

As stated above, lube groove collapse. Or other compressing or compaction.
I should weigh some of my salvaged slugs also. You raise an interesting question.

Shiloh

[qajaq59]

Wish we had snow banks here in Florida Bite your tongue. ha ha ha

[Shuz]

I wonder if the lube grooves got squished smaller?

Jack

Lube grooves are definitely shorter. Also nose to FDB is shorter. Interestingly the overall boolit diameter is smaller than the revolver's groove diameter. That's the part I don't unnerstand!

[leftiye]

Maybe they dried out?:kidding:

[fecmech]

"Lube grooves are definitely shorter. Also nose to FDB is shorter. "

The bullet sets back from acceleration and pressure on the base.

[randyrat]

Wish we had snow banks here in Florida [smilie=1: Then you wouldn't have young ladies running around in skimpy bikinis,no palm trees, diamond back rattlers, dry wood termites, flying cockroaches, the list goes on...